Axle level



Oct. 3 1934 AXLE LEVE Filed Sept. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 30, 1934.

c. H. PHELPS 1,978,759

AXLE] LEVEL Filed Sept. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a a N Patented Oct. 30, 1934 ATES PATENT AXLE LEVEL Application September 21, 1931, Serial No. 564392 3 Claims.

In testing the camber, the caster, the king-pin tilt and the alinement of vehicle wheelsit is necessary to support the wheels free of the ground or floor and this is accomplished by placing jacks under the axles to support the vehicle in the desired position. It is obviously essential that the vehicle axle be absolutely level and theobject of the present invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensive device which may be readily applied to any axle and which will indicate accurately when the axle is level. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and consists in certain novel features which will be hereinaiter first fully described and then more tion applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section, on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of an axle showing the tool applied in a somewhat different manner,

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view illustrating another manner of applying the tool,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged View, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of one of the posts or hangers forming an element of the tool.

In Fig. 1, an axle l is shown having an elliptic spring 2 mounted thereon and supported by jack blocks 3 in a well known manner, the jack blocks including lower terminals 4 which are provided with center sockets, as will be understood. Dotted lines in Fig. 1, at 5, indicate jacks which are engaged under the axle at the ends of the same so as to raise it and the wheels carried thereby from the ground or the floor of a garage or other workroom. The tool of the present invention embodies a bar 6 having a spirit level '7 mounted thereon at its center and upon the ends of this bar are slidably mounted boxes 8 from each of which rises a post or hanger 9 which is preferably formed integral with the box, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. In the upper end of each post or hanger is fitted a centering point 10 which is adapted to engage the socket in the lower end of the block terminal l, as shown in Fig. 1. The bar 6 is held by the hand of the workman in such position that the centering points or pins 10 will engage the terminals 4 of the spring blocks and the position of the level 7 will indicate when the axle has been brought to the desired horizontal position. The box 8 is composed of top and bottom webs connected at one side by a vertical web and adapted to fit closely around the bar 6, as shown in Fig. 5, to slide upon the same and the top and bottom webs are formed with extensions or cars 11 in which are fitted pins or rollers 12 which lie close against one side of the bar 6 and aid in guiding the box in its movement along the bar. The post or hanger 9 is hollow or tubular in form, as shown in Fig. 5, and within the bore thereof is a plunger 13 which is adapted to near upon the upper side of the bar 6 and is held thereto by an expansion spring 14 housed within the bore of the post above the plunger, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the plunger will be held to the bar 6 and will frictionally hold the post or hanger in any position in which it may be set.

With some forms of axles, it is not feasible to hold the tool against the under side of the axle or against the spring supports carried by the axle, as shown in Fig. l, and to meet these conditions, each post is provided with a laterally extending arm 15 which may be set to rest upon the upper side of an axle, as indicated in Fig. 4, or upon the upper side of a shim plate, indicated at 16 in Fig. 3. The arm 15 is formed at one end with an eye or hub member 17 which is adapted to encircle the reduced upper extremity 18 of the post and rest upon an annular shoulder 19 formed thereon concentric with said reduced extremity. The reduced tenon or terminal 18 of the post or hanger is internally threaded and the centering pin or point 10 is constructed with an externally threaded stem 20 which is engaged in the internally threaded element 18, as shown in Fig. 5, an annular head 21 being formed at the upper end of the stem and suitably shaped to be engaged by a turning tool. A spring washer 22 is fitted about the stem 20 between the upper side of the eye 17 and the under side of the head 21 so that, when the head has been properly adjusted, the washer will act as a brake or friction element to hold the arm 15 in any position in which it might be set although yielding to sufficient force to permit the arm to be turned. In Fig. 3, the posts 9 are disposed between the shims l6 and the arms 15 are turned about the posts to extend outwardly and bear at their ends upon the inner edge pertions of the shims. The tool will thus be supported by the arms on the shims and the bar 6 will be held parallel with the under side of the axle and, of course, will indicate when the axle has assumed the desired level position. It may sometimes be inconvenient or impossible to support the tool in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 owing to the presence of various accessories upon the upper side of the axle between the springs and the shim plates. In such event, the boxes 8 are slid along the bar 6, toward the ends of the same, and, after being brought to positions near the ends of the bar, the arms 15 are turned about the posts so that they may project inwardly toward the respective shim plates and engage over the outer edge portions thereof. The eyes at the ends of the arms 15 will fit closely upon the tenons or reduced terminals 18 of the posts although they may turn readily about the same when sufiicient pressure is applied through the hand of the works man while the spring washer 22 will exert sufficient pressure upon the eye or hub to hold it closely upon the supporting shoulder 19 with sufficient frictional force to maintain the arm in any position in which it may be set.

The uses and advantages of the device are thought to be evident from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it will be readily noted that the device is very simple in the construction and arrangement of its parts, may be easily applied in operative position and will accurately indicate Whether or not an axle is level.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A tool for the purpose set forth comprising a bar, a level mounted on the bar, boxes slidably mounted on the bar at opposite sides of the level, posts rising from the boxes, supporting arms mounted upon the upper ends of the posts and turnable about the posts, and yieldable means for frictionally maintaining the arms in a set position relative to the posts.

2. A tool for the purpose set forth comprising a bar, a level mounted on the bar, boxes slidably mounted upon the bar at opposite sides of'the level, posts rising from the boxes and having reduced upper ends and annular shoulders at the bottoms of the reduced portions, supporting arms having eyes encircling the reduced portions of the posts and resting on the annular shoulders thereof, and means for holding the arms in a set position.

3. A tool for the purpose set forth comprising a bar, a level mounted on the bar, boxes slidably mounted on the bar at opposite sides of the level, posts rising from the boxes and having internally threaded upper ends and annular shoulders below said ends, supporting arms having eyes encircling the ends and restingv on the annular shoulders of the posts, centering, pins having externally threaded stems engaged in the internally threaded ends'of the posts and having heads on the upper ends of the stems, and friction members interposed between said heads and the eyes of the supporting arms.

CLYDE H. PHELPS. 

